章節 22: Maester Yandel's Kingdom of the True North (Chapter 4)
The Great Braavosi adventure, the Clans of the Kingdom of the True North, and Anarawd's time in King's Landing.
"Every True Northman is to receive an Iron Coin as an oath of service to the city, if he serves the Sealord and is lucky well enough in his length of service, he also gets a wife from the ports of Braavos as well as treasures at the end of his service!" - A mercenary recruiter's advertisement.
"These men are fierce fighters, they are also crafty devils, laughing at the hardships they faced and using any means just to secure victory, loyal and honest to a fault, such men deserves to guard the Sealord in the chambers and also in battle in his life and perhaps in the next as well" - First Sword Belonno concerning the True Northmen mercenaries that served under the Sealord of Braavos.
During the Northern Campaign when Braavos decided to block Westerosi ships from reaching Hardhome and also to rescue their people who plied their trade as merchants also came a migration of a certain number of families that lived there, the families of Braavosi adventurers and second sons who became Gallowglasses and also True North families who had the bloodline of Skinchangers in them fled to the Bastard Daughter of Valyria fleeing the anticipated devastation of the Southern Campaign, to the writing of this record they still maintained a quarters in Braavos and outside the city was a godswood which was granted to them by the Sealord for their services as his very own Gallowglasses with his wars across Essos.
A Braavosi Gallowglass.
"These Ax-bearers charged upon us riding bears! Shouting in that barbaric tongue of theirs they slew the then Prince of Pentos my supposed predecessor, I could guess that he was lucky for if he returned to Pentos defeated he would have been sacrificed to the gods and the magisters would have just chosen me as his replacement - The Tattered Prince's account concerning the Battle of the Pentoshi plains.
The Braavosi Gallowglasses became a notable force during the Hills of Andalos Campaign against the Free City of Pentos, it was said that the Skinchangers of their group took the minds of the bears and lions in the region and hunt down the mercenary and local armies of Pentos in what was to be known as Fabian tactics, a term made by King Rhodri, they held down the Pentoshi army until the regular army of Braavos finally arrived and drove the Pentoshi from the hills, at a battle at the Pentoshi plains, it was a contingent of Gallowglasses which led the charge against the Pentoshi center shattering it and a Gallowglass gave his life to the Sealord and so they were made his bodyguards under the First Sword. When that Sealord died it was said that his successor also decided to keep the Gallowglasses as his protectors. After the battle of Rhodri's pass some of the Gallowglasses that served the Free City of Braavos came back to the True North and told of the opportunities there and so came a tradition for certain adventurous young True Northmen to go to Braavos and seek his fortune there as the Sealord's Gallowglass.
Their renown as the vanguard of Braavos and their reputation as fierce fighters meant that no sane Bravo would try to duel with them and so they became a part of the city's force of law and order.
Ser Aemon Map Bonifer of Clan Hasty, Gallowglass of the Sealord.
As much as possible, there are no concept of noble houses like those in the south here in the Kingdom of Hengledd, one of Anarawd's policies was not to grant too much power to the tribes and clans of his kingdom so as to prevent any of the clan and tribal chieftains from trying to gain power and finally usurp House Canmore's place as a Royal Family, part of that was the granting of titles of Stewardship of cities and Offices in which he himself could take away, although he allowed his brothers and also extensive relatives to marry the daughters and sons of this clan and tribal chieftains as well as allow them a place in his court which created a rather unusual court setting as Anarawd's court was divided into two factions, the Tanists or Horsetails known for wearing horsetail hairs on their berets, and the Royals or Hawk Feathers as they often wear feathers on their berets. The Tanists believed kingship should be elected between the many chieftains or at the very least the senior branches of the Canmore family, whereas the Royalsbelieve that they must follow the direct inheritance of the crown as determined by Rhodri's will. The tensions between the factions would come to a breaking point when Anarawd died and his crown is decided between his daughters or to their uncles and their children, such would have to be discussed later.
But still there are a couple of notable clans there is from the Native Clans and the Gallowglass Clans that grew into prominence, there is Clan Map Sigr who were once the Magnar of the Thenn Valley but were forced to surrender to King Rhodri, they became prominent once more when Styr Map Sigr married Gisla Fer Anarawd of House Canmore and they were chosen as joint King and Queen of the Kingdom after the death of King Anarawd. Clan Morch held the rising farmsteads around the kingdom, they were one of the most influential clans of the Tanists, then their rivals Clan Dunchailled who were fierce supporters of the House Canmore through their marriage to Hywell Map Merfyn, there is Clan Map Gram, Clan Dunglass, Clan Morvan and Clan Findlyh. Then there are the Gallowglass Clans of Hasty, Baelish, Forel, Mezec, and Rogers who became prominent through their service to the Canmore Kings.
Clan Hasty was founded by Ser Bonifer Hasty when he eloped with Rhaella Targaryen and sought refuge at the court of his friend, Anarawd Map Rhodri of House Canmore, where he became the Lord Commander of the King's Gallowglasses, his deeds became a famous song sung in both the True North and the South, the Tain Rhaella or the Stealing of Rhaella, he had been the Wildling Prince's friend during his time as a hostage at the Red Keep and during the Fifth and final Blackfyre rebellion he had saved the life of Prince Anarawd who was indebted to him that he had him knighted himself, the five children he had with the Princess Rhaella were Ser Daemon Map Bonifer, who became regent to King Caradog Map Gisla Canmore and had his daughter, Mairead Fer Daemon, betrothed to the young prince, Ser Aemon Map Bonifer became famous for becoming a Braavosi Gallowglass serving under the current Sealord of Braavos, Justin Map Bonifer, then there are his two daughters, Ladies Shaena Fer Bonifer, and Betha Fer Bonifer.
Clan Baelish was founded by a Braavosi Sellsword who became a Gallowglass to King Rhodri and for his service was granted land at one of the prongs of the Antler River, a wife, and a fold of Heilan Coo, he founded the port town of Baelton and using some of his mercantile connections in Braavos had established his town as one of the main ports of the True North next to Hardhome at the writing of this record they continued to lead Baelton as Stewards of the town. Clan Rogers was founded by a third son of House Rogers of the Stormlands who established himself along with Clan Hasty as Gallowglasses and currently a Ser Theon Map Brandon of Clan Rogers was the Lord Commander of the King's Gallowglasses.
"...They look upon me as if I am one insult away to being a dog that would snarl and bite, I always reminded myself of father's words 'be brave but don't be stupid' he gave me his beret as well as his tartan to remind me of home and also to remind the others that hostage or not I am his son and heir..." - Account of Anarawd Map Rhodri Canmore.
"...Father always sends me letters, he tells me of how mother is once more pregnant and that I am an older brother again, he then asks me of how I am and if I was doing well, it was comforting to see his letters but at the same time I miss the True North, not this arid and desolate South..." - Diary of Anarawd Map Rhodri Canmore.
"...It became a practice for the Prince Jaehaerys to insult and belittle me in every way possible, a sort of a twisted way to tell everyone of 'how House Targaryen laid low the freedom loving Wildlings of Beyond the Wall', there were times where I often wanted to punch and ruin that pretty face of his, but I then reminded myself it would not do well for me to humiliate a man at his home, in front of his wife and his children, if anything it was the friends I was able to make that made the whole ordeal better and bearable for me..." - Account of Anarawd Map Rhodri Canmore.
Anarawd's time in the court of Aegon V was well recorded, it was the first time the South saw a sophisticated Wildling, although it seems Jaehaerys has been hostile to Anarawd a fact that was noticed by even the servants of the Red Keep, and a behavior in which the rest of his family did not seem to participate in such a maltreatment of a guest of the Red Keep, the Crown Prince's Children seems amenable to Prince Anarawd, Rhaella in particular was regaled of stories and songs of the True North by the Wildling Prince, it was also in this moment where Anarawd and Bonifer Hasty met and became friends, Ser Bonifer was a squire during that time and was set to participate in the squire's tourney, he was enamored of Rhaella and Anarawd had spoken to the princess for him in handing out her favor to which she had given to Bonifer who won the squire's tourney in her honor. When the Fifth and Final Blackfyre Rebellion erupted it was Bonifer who saved Anarawd's life to which a grateful Wildling Prince rewarded with knighting the man.
"...By the gods of the earth and sky, do you so swear to defend the weak and the helpless? Do you so swear to hold true to your oaths? Then by the powers granted upon me as Prince of the Blood of the True North, I dub thee Ser Bonifer Hasty!" - Anarawd's knighting of Ser Bonifer Hasty.
His time as a guest of the Red Keep ended however when he had received a message from his father who had died from the Battle of Rhodri's Pass and he petitioned to King Aegon V that he return to the True North which was then granted by the old king, he arrived back at the Cooleys where his father was already naught but ash and a Tanistry was being held to which his mother presented a letter which declared Anarawd as the new King much to the chagrin of the tribal and clan chieftains, however, she was supported by other chieftains and also by Rhodri's brothers who declared 'it would not do well if Rhodri's legacy would be destroyed by squabbling over on who gets to be crowned, southern kingdoms have practiced inheritance of direct descent why not we also practice it as well? Let there be one king, one land, and one power over all of us if we are to survive as Rhodri's children' and so in the final deliberations it was then agreed that Anarawd Map Rhodri of House Canmore should become the New King of the True North.
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